The blog
Reader guides, science explainers and practical notes on writing and publishing science fiction.
Science
Consciousness as a State of Matter: A Speculative Idea and Its Uses in Science Fiction
Could consciousness be a state of matter, like solid or liquid? Tegmark's perceptronium and integrated information theory explained, and how SF uses them.
26 September 2026, 7 min read
Best Writing Apps for Android: A Practical Guide for Novelists
Writing craft, 13 min read
AI Publisher Spines Raises $64 Million: What It Means for Indie Authors
Self-publishing, 5 min read
Best Writing Apps for iPad: A Practical Guide for Novelists
Writing craft, 12 min read
Vellum Pulls Its AI Automation Feature a Day After Launch
Self-publishing, 5 min read
Worldbuilding Software for Sci-Fi Writers: Best Tools and How to Choose
Writing craft, 12 min read
EU Court Adviser Draws a Line for AI Chatbots That Reuse Published Work
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Create an Enhanced Ebook: Audio, Video and Read-Along in EPUB 3
Self-publishing, 12 min read
Kindle E-Readers Get Amazon’s “Ask This Book” AI: What Authors Should Know
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Write Interactive Fiction: Structure, Choices, Tools and Publishing
Writing craft, 12 min read
An AO3 Clone Sold AI Audiobooks of Scraped Fanfiction. Authors Shut It Down in a Day
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Sell Books Directly From Your Website: A Guide for Indie Authors
Self-publishing, 12 min read
Readwise Books Takes On Kindle and Goodreads: What Authors Should Know
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Publish on Google Play Books: A Step-by-Step Guide for Indie Authors
Self-publishing, 12 min read
France’s Prix Pascal Opens Entries for AI-Assisted Fiction
Writing craft, 5 min read
Storytel Grows on AI Discovery and Gives Authors a Live Dashboard
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Build an AI Chatbot of Your Book Characters
Self-publishing, 14 min read
Apple Brings an AI Assistant to Pages: What It Means for Writers
Writing craft, 5 min read
How to Publish Serialized Fiction: Platforms, Schedules and Money
Self-publishing, 12 min read
Australia Weighs an AI Opt-Out for Books, and Authors Everywhere Object
Self-publishing, 5 min read
AI Tools for Fiction Writers: How to Use Them Without Losing Your Voice
Writing craft, 12 min read
Kindle for Android Now Lets Readers Write in the Margins
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Publish on Apple Books: A Step-by-Step Guide for Indie Authors
Self-publishing, 11 min read
AI Disclosure Becomes Publishing’s New Rule After the Goncourt Case
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Build an Author Website: A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers
Self-publishing, 11 min read
Top App Development Companies for Authors and Publishers
Self-publishing, 8 min read
Kindle Unlimited Becomes Kindle+, With AI-Narrated Audiobooks Included
Self-publishing, 5 min read
How to Turn Your Book Into an App: A Practical Guide for Authors
Self-publishing, 9 min read
The Discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background, and What It Offers SF Writers
Science, 7 min read
7 Reasons to Finish Your Entire First Draft Before Going Back to the Beginning
Writing craft, 7 min read
Writer's Block: Practical Causes, Fixes and a 7-Day Reset Plan
Writing craft, 7 min read
Don't Show, Period? When Telling Is the Right Choice
Writing craft, 6 min read
Antimatter Explained: How CERN Makes It, Traps It and Why SF Gets It Wrong
Science, 8 min read
Creating Characters: Wants, Needs, Wounds and Contradictions
Writing craft, 7 min read
The Editing Myth: What Each Kind of Edit Really Does
Writing craft, 7 min read
Dystopian, Utopian, Cacotopian: What the Terms Mean and Where They Overlap
Science fiction, 7 min read
The Hidden Benefits of Being an Unknown Author
Self-publishing, 6 min read
The Daimones Trilogy: Reading Order, Escalation and Where It Fits in SF
Books, 7 min read
Choosing the Right Point of View for Your Story
Writing craft, 8 min read
Daimones: A Reader's Guide to Book One of the Daimones Trilogy
Books, 7 min read
CreateSpace, Lightning Source, Lulu: Where Should You Self-Publish Your Print Book Today?
Self-publishing, 7 min read
How to Describe Characters Without Writing a Catalogue
Writing craft, 7 min readStart with the first chapter
One quiet morning, a family of three, and a planet that has gone silent.